Page 72 of Lexi, Property of Rhyder

I feel my eyes burn with unshed tears, so I look down at my plate, my previous appetite now completely forgotten.

Master drops his fork to his plate making a loud clanking sound which has me sitting upright in my chair. “I told you to wear red lipstick every time you’re with me. Why didn’t you wear it?”

I look down, and in a low voice, I say, “I’m sorry.”

There’s a large intake of breath, and then he says, “You willnotforget next time. Now eat.”

I hesitantly look up at him. “I’m not hungry.”

“Youwilleat,” he demands, his voice definite.”

Gail pours me more coffee, and his eyes glance up at her. “Leave us.”

Gail keeps her head down, places the pot on the table, then walks out into the kitchen.

“You don’t have to speak to her that way.”

His mouth twitches. “I don’t? And why not? She’s my employee…” He rests his elbows on the table and toys with his fingers. “Just like you are,” he adds. Master picks up his fork again and begins to eat the bacon that’s on his plate and flicks open a newspaper to read.

We are silent for the rest of our meal, which in all honesty, feels like a damn eternity. I look at him now and then notice he’s studying me intently.

I try to finish my pancakes, but my stomach’s in all kinds of knots, and every time I take a mouthful, it makes me want to be physically ill. It seems every time I’m around this man, he does this to me.

Master throws his napkin on the table and stands. “Ready?” He walks over to me and places his hand out ready for me to take.

“Do I have a choice?”

“No, you don’t.”

“Mmm...” I stand, not accepting his hand and walk past him.

“Ah... Red, this way.”

Spinning around, he’s pointing the other direction, so I turn and start walking. He’s leading me out to the alfresco area once again. The sun shines on my face, and I look up, enjoying the warmth it brings to my skin. He touches my elbow, and I glance at Master.

“This way, I want to give you a tour of my winery.”

Master leads the way, and we walk around the fields of grapes. We stop now and then, and he explains what each color represents, and the different taste it adds to his wine. I am actually enjoying the tour, it’s making me feel normal again and helps me forget why I’m here.

Each employee stops when we pass them taking off their hat and saying hello to Sir Lawrence and myself. I don’t miss how his face lights up now and then, every time he explains each and every method of making his wine to me.

We stop suddenly, and Master approaches an employee grabbing a grape out of their basket. He walks back to me and places the grape up to my mouth. “Here, taste this.” I open my mouth slightly allowing him to feed me. When I bite into it, the juices swim around my taste buds, and his eyes light up. “Good?”

I nod. “Very good.”

He smiles. “I’m glad you think so.” A little juice sits on the bottom of my lip, and he wipes it away with his thumb. He’s so close, I can smell the body wash on his skin. The touch is intimate, and his eyes bore into mine. The sun turns his eyes crystal green as he licks his bottom lip.

I step back out of his touch. “Thank you.”

Coming out of his daydream state, he continues to talk and walk. We head up to the concrete building I saw on the first day I arrived here, and when we enter, the sound of machines is so loud it’s almost deafening. This place is like a factory with workers everywhere making wine.

Master grabs my hand again and shows me each and every process it takes to make his wine.

“Wow,” I say in awe.

He turns to me, holding both my hands in his. “I’m glad you appreciate it. Come with me, I want you to taste some.”

I follow him, his hand in mine as we enter a room where people are placing labels on different types of bottles, packaging them into individual cardboard boxes, and then boxing them in lots of twelve.

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